Cytomechanics is the application of the classical principles of mechanics in cell biology. It is an applied science concerned with the description and evaluation of mechanical properties of cells and their organelles as well as of the forces exerted by them. Thus, this topic needs a truly interdisciplinary approach, and accordingly this volume gives an up-to-date account of the current research done on cell division, mitosis, cytokinesis, cell locomotion and cell deformation during normal development and the cytoskeletal role in cell shape. Biologists, biomechanicians, biophysicists, biochemists and biomathematicians here discuss the basic concepts of mechanics and thermodynamics, emphasizing their applicability to cell activities.

The NATO Advanced Study Institute on Biomechanics of Active Movement and Division of Cells was held September 19-29, 1993 in Istanbul and the Proceedings are presented in this volume. Sixty-eight scientists from sixteen countries attended. Prof. J. Bereiter-Hahn of Goethe-Universitat, Frankfurt, Germany, Prof. A.K. Harris of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA, Prof. R.M. Nerem of Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA and Prof. R. Skalak of the University of California, San Diego, USA were the members of the International Organizing Committee. As the Scientific Director of the Institute, I wish to express my sincere appreciation for their assistance without which the Institute could not have taken place. This Institute is the third one of the meetings which are now called "the NATO Istanbul Meetings on Cytomechanics". The first one was the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Biomechanics of Cell Division which was held October 12-17, 1986 in Istanbul. The Proceedings were published as NATO ASI Series A Life Sciences Vol. 132 by Plenum Press in 1987. The second one was the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Biomechanics of Active Movement and Deformation of Cells which was held September 3-13, 1989 in Istanbul. The Proceedings were published as NATO ASI Series H : Cell Biology Vol. 42 by Springer-Verlag in 1990.

The NATO Advanced Study Institute on Biomechanics of Active Movement and Division of Cells was held September 19-29, 1993 in Istanbul and the Proceedings are presented in this volume. Sixty-eight scientists from sixteen countries attended. Prof. J. Bereiter-Hahn of Goethe-Universitat, Frankfurt, Germany, Prof. A.K. Harris of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA, Prof. R.M. Nerem of Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA and Prof. R. Skalak of the University of California, San Diego, USA were the members of the International Organizing Committee. As the Scientific Director of the Institute, I wish to express my sincere appreciation for their assistance without which the Institute could not have taken place. This Institute is the third one of the meetings which are now called "the NATO Istanbul Meetings on Cytomechanics". The first one was the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Biomechanics of Cell Division which was held October 12-17, 1986 in Istanbul. The Proceedings were published as NATO ASI Series A Life Sciences Vol. 132 by Plenum Press in 1987. The second one was the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Biomechanics of Active Movement and Deformation of Cells which was held September 3-13, 1989 in Istanbul. The Proceedings were published as NATO ASI Series H : Cell Biology Vol. 42 by Springer-Verlag in 1990.

First multi-year cumulation covers six years: 1965-70.

Current Topics in Developmental Biology

Over the past few decades numerous scientists have called for a unification of the fields of embryo development, genetics, and evolution. Each field has glaring holes in its ability to explain the fundamental phenomena of life. In this book, the author shows how the phenomenon of cell differentiation, considered in its temporal and spatial aspects during embryogenesis, provides a starting point for a unified theory of multicellular organisms (plants, fungi and animals), including their evolution and genetics. This unification is based on the recent discovery of differentiation waves by the author and his colleagues, described in the appendices, and illustrated by a flip movie prepared by a medical artist. To help the reader through the many fields covered, a glossary is included.This book will be of great value to the researcher and practicing doctors/scientists alike. The research students will receive an in-depth tutorial on the topics covered. The seasoned researcher will appreciate the applications and the gold mine of other possibilities for novel research topics.